TAOYUAN, Taiwan -- The photographer gingerly places a small, mixed-breed
puppy on a platform in his makeshift studio at an animal shelter in northern
Taiwan. The dog looks about 2 months old, with alert, trusting eyes and a
shiny black coat.
Tou Chih-kang captures expressions, personality. He
creates the kind of photos that any pet owner would love to have.
This puppy has no owner and will not get one. Once its photo shoot is over,
it will be taken away by vets to be put down.
Tou has been recording
the last moments of canines at the Taoyuan Animal Shelter for two years. He
has captured the images of some 400 dogs, most of which were pets abandoned
by their owners. To him the work is distressing, but he's trying to spread a
message of responsibility.
"I believe something should not be told
but should be felt," says Tou, a thick-bodied 37-year-old with an air of
quiet confidence. "And I hope these images will arouse the viewers to
contemplate and feel for these unfortunate lives, and understand the
inhumanity we the society are putting them through."
His photographs are
redolent of the kind of formal portraits -- of people -- that were taken 100
years ago, designed to bestow dignity and prestige upon the subject. In many
of the dog portraits, the animals are placed at angles that make them look
almost human.
This year Taiwanese authorities will euthanize an
estimated 80,000 stray dogs. Animal-welfare advocates say the relatively
widespread nature of the phenomenon -- Taiwan's human population is only 23
million -- reflects the still immature nature of the island's dog-owning
culture and the belief among some of its majority Buddhist population that
dogs are reincarnated humans who behaved badly in a previous life.
It
would seem, judging by the many stores in Taiwan that sell fancy dog clothes
and other baubles, as if Taiwanese fawn over their animals, and some do. But
others abandon pets to the streets once their initial enthusiasm cools.
"Animals are seen just as playthings, not to be taken seriously," says Grace
Gabriel, Asia regional director of the Massachusetts-based International
Fund for Animal Welfare.
Activists say that some 70 percent of dogs
in Taiwanese shelters are killed after a 12-day waiting period, despite
government efforts to find them homes. Gabriel says dogs in U.S. shelters
are less likely to be euthanized, though millions of cats continue to be put
down there each year.
The dogs who wind up in Taoyuan are picked up
by roving patrols, funded by local governments, of workers equipped with
large nets.
The dogs come in all sizes and shapes. Some are young and
active, others grizzled, listless and battered. After Tou photographs them,
veterinary workers take them for a brief turn around a grassy courtyard
before leading them into a small, clinical-looking room where they are
killed by lethal injection.
Tou, who uses the professional name Tou
Yun-fei, says he began his project because the Taiwanese media were not
paying enough attention to the dogs' plight. He says he doesn't believe in
having pets, but the problem had long plagued his conscience.
He says
that while some of his friends refuse to even look at his photographs,
others say the images taught them to take pet ownership more seriously.
A
handful of the some 40,000 dog pictures Tou has taken are due to be
exhibited this August in his first full-scale show, at the Fine Arts Museum
in the southern Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung.
A few photos already are
on display at Taoyuan city hall, part of a bid to raise citizens' awareness
of the responsibilities that come with raising a pet.
"I am a medium that
through my photography, more people will be aware of this issue," he says.
"I think that's my role."
___
slideshow:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/05/tou-chih-kang-taiwan-photo-shelter-dog_n_1650737.html
In this photo taken on Monday, April 9, 2012, in a makeshift studio,
Taiwanese photographer Tou Chih-kang tries to make a portrait of a dog in
the final moments of its life before being put down by lethal injection at a
shelter in Taoyuan, northern Taiwan. Tou has been visiting dog shelters for
two years now, making human-like portraits that give a sense of dignity and
esteem to some 400 canines, in hopes of educating the public on the proper
care of pets. This year Taiwanese authorities will kill an estimated 80,000
stray dogs at 38 pounds scattered throughout the island. (AP Photo/Wally
Santana)
In this photo taken on Wednesday, April 25, 2012, Taiwanese
photographer Tou Chih-kang hangs his portraits of the final moments in the
lives of shelter dogs for a public exhibition in Taoyuan, northern Taiwan.
Tou has been visiting dog shelters for two years now, making human-like
portraits that give a sense of dignity and esteem to some 400 canines, in
hopes of educating the public on the proper care of pets. This year
Taiwanese authorities will kill an estimated 80,000 stray dogs at 38 pounds
scattered throughout the island. (AP Photo/Wally Santana)
In this
photo taken on Monday, April 9, 2012, puppies beg for attention at a
government-run shelter in Taoyuan, northern Taiwan. In an ongoing project,
Taiwanese photographer Tou Chih-kang makes portraits of shelter dogs in the
final moments of their lives before being put down by lethal injection. Tou
has been visiting dog shelters for two years now, making human-like
portraits that give a sense of dignity and esteem to some 400 canines, in
hopes of educating the public on the proper care of pets. This year
Taiwanese authorities will kill an estimated 80,000 stray dogs at 38 pounds
scattered throughout the island. (AP Photo/Wally Santana)
In this
photo taken on Monday, April 9, 2012, the leashes of dogs put down that day
hang from a metal fence at a government-run shelter in Taoyuan, northern
Taiwan. In an ongoing project, Taiwanese photographer Tou Tou Chih-kang
makes portraits of shelter dogs in the final moments of their lives before
they are put down by lethal injection. Tou has been visiting dog shelters
for two years now, making human-like portraits that give a sense of dignity
and esteem to some 400 canines, in hopes of educating the public on the
proper care of pets. This year Taiwanese authorities will kill an estimated
80,000 stray dogs at 38 pounds scattered throughout the island. (AP
Photo/Wally Santana)
In this photo taken on Monday, April 9, 2012, a
dog begs for attention at a government-run shelter in Taoyuan, northern
Taiwan. In an ongoing project, Taiwanese photographer Tou Chih-kang makes
portraits of shelter dogs in the final moments of their lives before being
put down by lethal injection. Tou has been visiting dog shelters for two
years now, making human-like portraits that give a sense of dignity and
esteem to some 400 canines, in hopes of educating the public on the proper
care of pets. This year Taiwanese authorities will kill an estimated 80,000
stray dogs at 38 pounds scattered throughout the island. (AP Photo/Wally
Santana)
In this photo taken on Monday, April 9, 2012, in a makeshift
studio, Taiwanese photographer Tou Chih-kang and his assistant steady a
scared dog for a portrait in the final moments of its life before being put
down by lethal injection at a shelter in Taoyuan, northern Taiwan. Tou has
been visiting dog shelters for two years now, making human-like portraits
that give a sense of dignity and esteem to some 400 canines, in hopes of
educating the public on the proper care of pets. This year Taiwanese
authorities will kill an estimated 80,000 stray dogs at 38 pounds scattered
throughout the island. (AP Photo/Wally Santana)
In this photo taken
on Wednesday, April 25, 2012, Taiwanese photographer Tou Chih-kang hangs his
portraits of the final moments in the lives of shelter dogs for a public
exhibition in Taoyuan, northern Taiwan. Tou has been visiting dog shelters
for two years now, making human-like portraits that give a sense of dignity
and esteem to some 400 canines, in hopes of educating the public on the
proper care of pets. This year Taiwanese authorities will kill an estimated
80,000 stray dogs at 38 pounds scattered throughout the island. (AP
Photo/Wally Santana)
In this photo taken on Friday, May 11, 2012,
government dog catchers ensnare a dog on the streets of Taoyuan, northern
Taiwan. In an ongoing project, Taiwanese photographer Tou Chih-kang makes
portraits of shelter dogs in the final moments of their lives before being
put down by lethal injection. Tou has been visiting dog shelters for two
years now, making human-like portraits that give a sense of dignity and
esteem to some 400 canines, in hopes of educating the public on the proper
care of pets. This year Taiwanese authorities will kill an estimated 80,000
stray dogs at 38 pounds scattered throughout the island. (AP Photo/Wally
Santana)
In this photo taken on Monday, April 9, 2012, a dog looks
for attention at a government-run shelter in Taoyuan, northern Taiwan.
Taiwanese photographer Tou Chih-kang has been visiting dog shelters for two
years now, making human-like portraits that give a sense of dignity and
esteem to some 400 canines, in hopes of educating the public on the proper
care of pets. This year Taiwanese authorities will kill an estimated 80,000
stray dogs at 38 pounds scattered throughout the island. (AP Photo/Wally
Santana)
In this photo taken on Monday, April 9, 2012, Taiwanese
photographer Tou Chih-kang calms an excited dog before trying to make a
portrait in his makeshift studio moments before the dog is to be put down by
lethal injection at a shelter in Taoyuan, northern Taiwan. Tou has been
visiting dog shelters for two years now, making human-like portraits that
give a sense of dignity and esteem to some 400 canines, in hopes of
educating the public on the proper care of pets. This year Taiwanese
authorities will kill an estimated 80,000 stray dogs at 38 pounds scattered
throughout the island. (AP Photo/Wally Santana)
In this photo taken
on Wednesday, April 25, 2012, Taiwanese photographer Tou Chih-kang hangs his
portraits of the final moments in the lives of shelter dogs for a public
exhibition in Taoyuan, northern Taiwan. Tou has been visiting dog shelters
for two years now, making human-like portraits that give a sense of dignity
and esteem to some 400 canines, in hopes of educating the public on the
proper care of pets. This year Taiwanese authorities will kill an estimated
80,000 stray dogs at 38 pounds scattered throughout the island. (AP
Photo/Wally Santana)
In this photo taken on Monday, April 9, 2012,
Taiwanese photographer Tou Chih-kang identifies dogs on a manifest that are
to be killed later that day at a government-run shelter in Taoyuan, northern
Taiwan. In an ongoing project, photographer Tou makes portraits of shelter
dogs in the final moments before they are put down by lethal injection. Tou
has been visiting dog shelters for two years now, making human-like
portraits that give a sense of dignity and esteem to some 400 canines, in
hopes of educating the public on the proper care of pets. This year
Taiwanese authorities will kill an estimated 80,000 stray dogs at 38 pounds
scattered throughout the island. (AP Photo/Wally Santana)
In this
photo taken on Monday, April 9, 2012, a dog is taken to be killed by lethal
injection at a government-run shelter in Taoyuan, northern Taiwan. In an
ongoing project, Taiwanese photographer Tou Chih-kang makes portraits of
shelter dogs in the final moments of their lives before being put down by
lethal injection. Tou has been visiting dog shelters for two years now,
making human-like portraits that give a sense of dignity and esteem to some
400 canines, in hopes of educating the public on the proper care of pets.
This year Taiwanese authorities will kill an estimated 80,000 stray dogs at
38 pounds scattered throughout the island. (AP Photo/Wally Santana)
In this photo taken on Monday, April 9, 2012, a nurse prepares the room used
to euthanize dogs at a government-run shelter in Taoyuan, northern Taiwan.
In an ongoing project, Taiwanese photographer Tou Chih-kang makes portraits
of shelter dogs in the final moments of their lives before being put down by
lethal injection. Tou has been visiting shelters for two years now,
capturing the images of some 400 canines, in hopes of educating the public
on the proper care of pets. This year Taiwanese authorities will kill an
estimated 80,000 stray dogs at 38 pounds scattered throughout the island.
(AP Photo/Wally Santana)
In this photo taken on Monday, April 9,
2012, iIn a makeshift studio, Taiwanese photographer Tou Chih-kang tries to
make a portrait of a puppy in the final moments of its life before being put
down by lethal injection at a shelter in Taoyuan, northern Taiwan. Tou has
been visiting dog shelters for two years now, making human-like portraits
that give a sense of dignity and esteem to some 400 canines, in hopes of
educating the public on the proper care of pets. This year Taiwanese
authorities will kill an estimated 80,000 stray dogs at 38 pounds scattered
throughout the island. (AP Photo/Wally Santana)
In this photo taken
on Monday, April 9, 2012, a dog is tranquilized before taken to be
euthanized by lethal injection at a government-run shelter in Taoyuan,
northern Taiwan. In an ongoing project, Taiwanese photographer Tou Chih-kang
makes portraits of shelter dogs in the final moments of their lives before
being put down by lethal injection. Tou has been visiting dog shelters for
two years now, making human-like portraits that give a sense of dignity and
esteem to some 400 canines, in hopes of educating the public on the proper
care of pets. This year Taiwanese authorities will kill an estimated 80,000
stray dogs at 38 pounds scattered throughout the island. (AP Photo/Wally
Santana)
In this photo taken on Monday, April 9, 2012, Taiwanese
photographer Tou Chih-kang greets a dog scheduled to be euthanized later in
the day at a government-run shelter in Taoyuan, northern Taiwan. In an
ongoing project, photographer Tou makes portraits of shelter dogs in the
final moments before they are put down by lethal injection. Tou has been
visiting dog shelters for two years now, making human-like portraits that
give a sense of dignity and esteem to some 400 canines, in hopes of
educating the public on the proper care of pets. This year Taiwanese
authorities will kill an estimated 80,000 stray dogs at 38 pounds scattered
throughout the island. (AP Photo/Wally Santana)
In this photo taken
on Monday, April 9, 2012, a dog sits in a cage behind his paperwork before
being put down by lethal injection at a government-run shelter in Taoyuan,
northern Taiwan. In an ongoing project, Taiwanese photographer Tou Chih-kang
makes portraits of shelter dogs in the final moments of their lives before
being put down by lethal injection. Tou has been visiting dog shelters for
two years now, making human-like portraits that give a sense of dignity and
esteem to some 400 canines, in hopes of educating the public on the proper
care of pets. This year Taiwanese authorities will kill an estimated 80,000
stray dogs at 38 pounds scattered throughout the island. (AP Photo/Wally
Santana)
Doomed Shelter Dogs 1 of 20 Hide Thumbnails AP
http://news.yahoo.com/photos/photographer-s-crusade-to-save-doomed-shelter-dogs-slideshow/
To help raise awareness, a photographer captures the images just before
the dogs are put down. Heartbreaking!
Photographer Tou Chih-kang has
been recording the last moments of canines at the Taoyuan Animal Shelter in
Taiwan for two years. He has captured the images of some 400 dogs, most of
which were pets abandoned by their owners. To him the work is distressing,
but he's trying to spread a message of responsibility.
Read more about Tou Chih-kang's story.
